Haha I would be tempted to try that but were with family for the holidays, and nan love having baby so that idea is out the window.

I'm sure that witha canopy removed (about a 3.5grams I guess, does anyone here know the weight?) it should easily be able to Carry that 2.8g wireless camera we Have been talking about, would be really cool to fly into the next room and back without getting of the sofa.

You can remove the LEDs from the canopy & tail and the front wires from the fwd LEDs. You can also remove ALL the metal cladding and the screws holding them. The canopy itself is extremely lightweight, but you remove the large white "cheeks" enclosing the LEDS and you can use smaller screws to fasten the canopy.

What type of video camera are you guys thinking of ? Got a link to it ? I guess it must be powered off the LiPo and not by an additional 9V battery as this would be too heavy for the heli to lift.This is the link to the camera system I have ordered, it will require modification before fitting to the 5888 which I will only know about when it is delivered and start the project.http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWNX:IT

For answers to your following questions see xlcrlee's post 4 posts back, he has had his longer than most. This is my first 5888 so I will be learning as I go with this project
Does removing the metal cladding have any adverse effects e.g. makes the model's frame less stiff and wobbly ?

Can the LED's and their wires just be cut off without affecting the helicopter's other electrics ?

I understand the kind of thing you're doing now. This product looks like a similar one to what you have ordered but has a usb connection to record onto a PC by the look of it. Sounds like a good idea - you'll be able to play back your crashes over and over again :-)

Not sure how you are going to power the camera. Guess you'll need to drop the LiPo voltage down somehow.

I saw the previous post about removing the LEDs but I was just a bit concerned whether simply cutting the wires out would affect anything else on the heli. The question was really directed at Lee to be honest.

Does removing the metal cladding have any adverse effects e.g. makes the model's frame less stiff and wobbly ?

Can the LED's and their wires just be cut off without affecting the helicopter's other electrics ?

1. A bit less stiff, but with NO effect on flt performance, as the mechanical stuff is directly connected to the inner plastic frame. You can stiffen with plastic or balsa stringers if you wish. Also you can lighten the tail which is there for balance & appearance only.

2. The LED wires are always "on" when the heli is switched on. Cutting them allows more current to flow to the motors, etc. That current is regulated by the software, and cutting the wires is like going to a higher-charge state in the LIPO, noting that the current is in any case regulated.

Short answer: it WILL affect the rest by giving them more power when needed (same effect as increasing batt capacity).

precise tuning vs removing weight

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbjbasdw

Sounds like a good idea to get rid of some/all of the LEDs then to save weight and increase battery life.

All I need now is my heli to be delivered !

Actually, spending the time (and EFFORT!) to properly track (razor-sharp leading edges when viewing spinning rotordisc edge-on!) & tune* this heli will effectively enable you to carry probably TWO times the extra weight as by removing all the excess weight suggested above!

Just so you know ....

Lee

* incl adjusting for almost exactly 4mm upper, 3mm lower rotor blade tip play .... and perhaps one degree pitch incr. on both rotors [this only works when rotors are precisely tracked & tuned!]

Actually, spending the time (and EFFORT!) to properly track (razor-sharp leading edges when viewing spinning rotordisc edge-on!) & tune* this heli will effectively enable you to carry probably TWO times the extra weight as by removing all the excess weight suggested above!

Just so you know ...

Lee

* incl adjusting for almost exactly 4mm upper, 3mm lower rotor blade tip play .... and perhaps one degree pitch incr. on both rotors [this only works when rotors are precisely tracked & tuned!]

After hearing a I can get one from within the uk through eBay for just over £30 I am really tempted have one of these as a stepping stone before I eventualy get a Blade MSR, would you be prepared to start a thread on tuning this heli/write a good detailed guide in this thread, I kinda know how to do all the things your talking abou but I would lime to be sure.

As mentioned the camera and fpv use is another reason I like the sound of this heli, mind you in another thread I'm Reading a guy said lastnight that he has used parts from a cheap rc car and made a S107 run on 40Mhz so it can be flown out doors in the day or the other side of a wall.

Personally I think the Blade MSR and MCX are both over priced. I got a Nine Eagles Solo Pro instead as a move from coaxial to single rotor. There is also the 5889 version of the 5888 which is also single rotor - how good it is I have no idea ! If you are really serious about the hobby and plan to get a DX6i transmitter and Bind and Fly (BNF) versions of helicopters in the future then it may make sense getting an MSR.

Remember the Syma S107 is a 3 channel not a 4 channel like the 5888, MSR, MCX and the Solo Pro. I don't think that mixing 3 and 4 channels is a good idea because on a 4 channel rotate right/left is on the left stick and on a 3 channel it is on the right stick. Very confusing when the objective is to be able to control a heli without really having to think about it !

I'm sure others might disagree but for newbies like me I find it hard enough as it is !

All my heli are 3ch, apart from the RED5 Dolphin/HX2 they are all syma.

I have a cheap sky simulator on the pc and I has given me some difficulty in flying with yaw control on the left bit hopefully I will get used to this after writting off a thousand or so simulated models before I get my hands on anythin or 4ch or more.

I was going to get a RTF MSR then a BNF parkzone J3 CUB and use the MSR Tx seen as they are both Linked to/made by horizon hobbies the remote is crosscompatible DSM2.

[snip]
Remember the Syma S107 is a 3 channel not a 4 channel like the 5888, MSR, MCX and the Solo Pro. I don't think that mixing 3 and 4 channels is a good idea because on a 4 channel rotate right/left is on the left stick and on a 3 channel it is on the right stick. Very confusing when the objective is to be able to control a heli without really having to think about it !

I'm sure others might disagree but for newbies like me I find it hard enough as it is !

I agree it would be hard to learn moving between 3 and 4 channel helis... once you have it down it's even a little confusing switching between them. I think for me it's harder getting used to my 3 channels after using 4 channels for a while... it only takes about 10 seconds for me to get back into 4 channel mode after using 3 channels.

I think that a 4-ch is much better for camera-work, as it allows much easier positioning. A 3-ch is like a car, think about how dificult it is to park a car. A large boat is MUCH easier to dock using sideways bow (and stern) thrusters!

Fullsize helis and professional UAVs have full 3-axis control over their cameras.

There is no supplied wall charger with the one I bought - only a USB connector cable. (This is what was described on the eBay advertisement )

I have it plugged into my PC at the moment charging but I can't see any LED lit up anywhere. Is this normal ? Will something light up when it is fully charged or do I just leave it on for about 40 minutes which is the charging time that it says on the side of the box ?

There is no supplied wall charger with the one I bought - only a USB connector cable. (This is what was described on the eBay advertisement )

I have it plugged into my PC at the moment charging but I can't see any LED lit up anywhere. Is this normal ? Will something light up when it is fully charged or do I just leave it on for about 40 minutes which is the charging time that it says on the side of the box ?

Was there no light on the USB plug when you plugged it into the computer?

The USB cables I have for my helis (not the 5888, I am still waiting for that) some of them light up when I plug them into the computer and go out when plugged into the heli, then come back on when charged.

Others do the opposite, no light when plugged into the computer but when plugged into the heli the light comes on then goes out when charged.